Polly The Panda, I Got Her Probably Almost A Decade Ago During A Holiday In Beijing

am I overreacting or do I have a valid reason to feel the way I do: a novel by me

In many cultures, ethnic groups, and nations around the world, hair is considered a source of power and prestige. African people brought these traditions and beliefs to the Americas and passed them down through the generations.

In my mother’s family (Black Americans from rural South Carolina) the women don’t cut their hair off unless absolutely necessary (i.e damage or routine trimming). Long hair is considered a symbol of beauty and power; my mother often told me that our hair holds our strength and power. Though my mother’s family has been American born for several generations, it is fascinating to see the beliefs and traditions of our African ancestors passed down. We are emotionally and spiritually attached to our hair, cutting it only with the knowledge that we are starting completely clean and removing stagnant energy.

Couple this with the forced removal and covering of our hair from the times of slavery and onward, and you can see why so many Black women and men alike take such pride and care in their natural hair and love to adorn our heads with wigs, weaves, braids, twists, accessories, and sharp designs.

Hair is not just hair in African diaspora cultures, and this is why the appropriation and stigma surrounding our hair is so harmful.

Hoseok: Morning, Yoongi. What are you drinking?

Yoongi: Water.

Hoseok: Really? It doesn't smell like water.

Yoongi: It's... imported water.

Hoseok: Uh-huh. Imported from where?

Yoongi: ...Russia

Hoseok: Are you drinking vodka at nine in the morning??

Yoongi: It's nine-thirty.

what's with the orange and green accents 🙁🙁🙁

i know what you are ...

NO FR THO THEY LOOK SO GOOD

the secret to life is always having something to look forward to

the suffering never ends

here is a google doc of resources to support george floyd, ahmaud arbery, roy stoddart, and the many, many, many other wrongfully murdered black people in the united states — as well as the black lives matter movement in general

please share this link or post to anyone and everyone

i just wanna go to an art museum and stand in front of a painting of two star crossed lovers wherein one of them looks suspiciously like me and an attractive stranger comes along and stands wistfully next to me also admiring the painting and we lock eyes and i notice they look suspiciously like the other subject and we have a moment of silent understanding that in another life we were meant to be